Rule Number One
by the-dramatic-harmonica
Summary: One day, traveling through time and space, the Tardis materializes in Asgard. A fated friendship between Loki and the Doctor begins. But will the Doctor be able to save the God of Mischief from his fate, or be the one to seal it? A tale of time travel, identity and the fight between good and evil and remember, the Doctor lies.
1. The Promise

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned a Tardis, or the BBC, I unfortantely do not. All rights go to their respected persons and production companies.

A Loki Odinson/Laufeyson tale of finding identity, and finding the Doctor.

Fandoms: Doctor Who/ Avengers

Main Characters: Loki/ Ten/Eleven ( with some Martha and Thor)

* * *

The words were repeating in his head, filling him with shame, mixing with the jealousy and rage already in his mind. He was lost in the struggle against himself, half of him screaming out in rage, the other wanting to curl into a ball and cry.

He loved his solitude, yet a part of him wished they had cared enough to search every corner of the castle until they found him, or even raid all of the realms for him.

But they would never find him here in his usual refuge. The room was beautiful, no doubt unused due to it's tendency of darkness. Despite it's large sunroof, shadows possessed almost every inch of the room, throwing it into the dark he welcomed so readily. No one would have use for the large room at the end of the servant's quarters, so dark and quiet, one he doubted even the servants knew about it. It held numerous secret passages he had already acquainted himself with, when he'd found the room years before; some led to antechambers and servants quarters, the others to the royal bedrooms themselves.

The rage burrowing inside of him was a familiar feeling, the usual outcry of injustice already something he had long learned to live with. Though, he had never before been so moved to express it aloud, that was a first. Color fled his cheeks as he recalled his words, his childish scream at his own father.

"YOU ALWAYS PICK THOR'S SIDE!" he had bellowed at them. In front of everyone, the whole court. His brother, mother, Sif, and his father had just stared at him, aghast. It was not like him to be so outspoken, or perhaps they were watching him bleed on the marble floors.

Just because he had screamed it, with a dramatic fury reserved only for a child of his age, it didn't make it any less true. The revelation was as painful as the wounds Thor gave him during their brawl, his bloodied nose and black eye. Just as he sat repenting his actions, he remembered how he had been punished, when Thor had started it, and left the fight with only a scratch on his cheek. He touched the soft spot of his eye where the bruise was forming, and still tried to ignore the truth.

Thor had been favored, that was the only way to explain Loki's scolding and punishment, when Thor had been the one to provoke him into the fight anyway. Then, Loki had fueled the small fire with his own words, fanning it into the furious flame of Odin's rage, one that resulted in his punishment. He sulked as he recalled his father's words, one week banned from eating in the grand hall with the rest of the family, _fine _he thought,_ I can live with that, I never want to see Thor again anyway. _What was more painful was the ban from the stables, that meant three weeks of no riding, no playing _Asgardians and Frost Giants _with the other warriors and Thor. No fun was what it really meant. Father had called him reckless, careless, and the cause of the feud. No one had listened to him pronounce Thor as the catalyst for the brotherly fist fight. No one took his side against the old father.

He screamed loudly into the emptiness, before he slumped to the ground, his back against the wall. Silence answered him, dust caking off the windows, traveling through the air towards the other side of the darkened room. He hunched over, pulling his knees to his chest, he buried his face into his hands, trying to shrivel into a ball and disappear all over again. The injustice was truly felt, but he knew that next time he would not be able to speak against it, he would have to hold his tongue, to avoid penalty.

He tried desperately to fight the tears streaming down his features, but it was no use, they fell in small drops along his clothes, clustering on his knees, staining them with the salty taste of feeling unworthy. Those tears that had been apart of him for the last hour without faltering for a moment. He felt utterly alone and unwanted with no one to understand him.

He was so distraught, that he hadn't even reveled in their reactions when he had vanished from in front of of the whole court's eyes. He could imagine his brother and father's dumbfounded expression, Sif's confusion, and the warriors three chattering about the trick he had been perfecting for weeks. He had failed to even enjoy it, it had felt cheap, as it was a necessary escape to get away from them. He sniffled loudly and took solace of the dark solitude of the room no one knew about. Even the familiar whirring sound of his friend arriving did nothing to dissuade his negative spirits from abandoning him.

"Fancy a little trip then? To clear your mind?" the familiar voice called. He buried his face further in his hands, closing his eyes tightly, refusing to look, his dismissal muffled.

"Go away time man!" Usually he looked forward to these visits. The Doctor, who lived up to his name and always healed the sadness in Loki's heart. This time, he feared he was beyond saving. For what could possible make up for the discovery that he was unequal in his father's eyes?

"Come on Loki!" the Doctor urged, approaching, by the sound of his nearing voice.

"There's a planet made entirely out of jam!" he continued, with a broad grin that Loki couldn't see, still hiding in his hands. His voice was sing song, calling to him, trying to entice curiosity in the young boy.

He crouched down in front of the sullen eleven year old and touched him on the shoulder.

"I HATE JAM!" Loki lied through his teeth, not yet mastering his mischief and deceit. There was no hiding the strain in his voice as he tried the fib on for size.

"What's wrong, then?" the Doctor asked, resisting the urge to add '_tell the doctor.'_

"You said you only pick the best," Loki sniffled remembering the same words from the first time they had ever met, 2 years ago, when the Doctor's time machine had stumbled by accident into Asgard, appearing right in front of Loki when he'd been sulking in the room alone.

"Shouldn't pick me then" he continued in a defeatist manner, his reply interrupted by his own sniffling. He opened his eyes and looked through his hands to the doctor's red shoes beside his own feet. He looked up and was startled to find the doctor sitting right beside him, legs crossed as he leaned against the same wall.

Loki's wiped his eyes, red and swollen, illuminating the intense self pity he held within.

"I'm not worthy," Loki added in a whisper, as if afraid that it really was the truth.

"Now whoever in the world told you that?" The doctor asked in a gentle voice. "You know in all my 700 years I've never met anyone who wasn't worthy?"

"So maybe..." Loki's voice picked up with a hopeful quality, he played with the words. He watched a speck of dust as it floated through the air, coming to settle on the ground beside the Tardis.

"I'll be king someday?" he asked, so earnest that it almost broke the Doctor's two hearts.

The doctor didn't have the strength to tell the poor hopeful eleven year old the truth. Loki's eyes brimmed with hope and motivation as he watched the doctor, patiently awaiting his response, one that he hoped would make all his current dreams come true. Loki was wishing for that one word that would prove he was equal to his older brother.

"Wouldn't you rather see the future for yourself?" the Doctor asked instead. He knew he was treading into dangerous territory with the question itself, and searched for something else to say. Loki's eyes glimmered with a sudden curiosity as he nodded excitedly.

"Or" continued the doctor, his mind racing for something more interesting than the future to offer the young God.

"Would you rather see-" the doctor cut out mid-sentence, feeding Loki's curiosity, hoping he would pick this option over the future, if not perhaps he would lie and said the Tardis misdirected them. There was no way he was to show Loki what he could become, a variation of the future the Doctor still wished was possible to avoid.

"No, that wouldn't interest you, I mean of course it would _interest _you, but it's far too dangerous-" the Doctor added a flare, leaping to his feet.

"I can handle anything!" Loki countered, his eyes ablaze with curiosity. "What...what is it?" he asked, alert. His tears already dry, excitement replacing the forgotten sorrow.

"Well, I've never taken _anyone _there before," the Doctor continued, his mind searching through a catalogue of planets for a place to take the child.

"I know everyone thinks Thor is stronger but I'm smarter! I can do it!" Loki jumped up suddenly, an energy surging through him.

"I helped you fight those weeping angels!" Loki reminded the Doctor.

"Yes, I remember Loki, and your fog helped us escape, it was incredible," the Doctor beamed and Loki mirrored his smile in a matter of seconds.

Loki's sadness had dissolved into an urgency to travel.

"Can I steer?" he asked, racing into the Tardis. He was already at the controls when the Doctor entered.

"Loki this has to be our last trip for a while," he started somberly.

"Why?" Loki asked distracted, making noises with his mouth as he mimed steering the time machine.

"I may have a way to find Rose," the Doctor confessed, coming towards to boy. He didn't expect Loki to understand, not really. Sometimes the child was filled with wonder, and an energy that was intoxicating, but other times, he feared for Loki and his course. He wondered if he would be strong enough to face his adoption, his brother's overbearing shadow. He hoped for the best, and had seen an outcome of either one. True wickedness had to be chosen, the Doctor knew. He had already overstayed with the child, hoping to steer him onto a better path, sacrificing his own searches for Rose to mentor the boy.

He hoped to lead Loki into a world of escape, to show him unexplainable happiness and the reality of the world, so that he would be able to cope with his demons. The weight of wanting to see Rose, the urgency of trying to find her was eating away at the Doctor and he could wait no longer. He waited patiently for Loki's response, hoping his own actions would not drive the boy to the madness the Doctor could see in him.

The Tardis kicked into motion and the sound of whirring filled the air. They could feel the machine work and contract, jetting off to their destination.

"Good job old girl!" Loki shouted up towards the console, a giant grin on his face.

"Loki, did you hear me?" The Doctor asked, once they were flying through the vortex and the humming had become a soft music in the background. A buffer for the awkwardness that threatened to come in between them and ruin their trip.

"Yes" Loki paused for a time, listening to the Tardis work. He played with a switch suddenly, looking away from the doctor as he found his words. The Tardis groaned and lurched forward before Loki hurriedly released the switch with an apologetic expression.

The Doctor wondered what Loki would say, if he would understand, if he even could understand. Then, Loki surprised him.

"You love her right?" Loki asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes." The Doctor admitted. Loki made no movement, as if he hadn't heard him at all.

"Then you have to go!" Loki said suddenly, with a nervouse energy. His eyes darted to the Doctor for a second before he looked away just as suddenly. Then, he gained back his confidence and stared at the Doctor, his voice steady.

"But-" he bit his lip, his green eyes ablaze with some emotion the doctor couldn't trace.

"Will you come back?" he asked softly. Tears threatened to escape him at the thought of losing the one friend he'd truly had in the last two years.

"You have my word Loki of Asgard, I promise I will come back" he spoke just as the engines came to a halt. The fear and anxiety moments before dissolved into a sudden energy and Loki raced to open the door, his face suspended in awe at the sight that greeted him.

Loki Odinson would never see the Doctor again.

* * *

tbc.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Flying

Thank you all for your kind words and reviews! I hope you enjoy this new chapter. It was a bit tough to write, sorry about the wait.

* * *

He could barely see it through his haze of tears. Flashes of electric red and blue swallowed him whole as he fell towards the darkness and death. As a child he'd been fascinated with the deep void, the possibility of endless time and space. Now, he wished for the end to come faster. Welcoming the time when his reel of thoughts would finally cease.

_It would unleash the full power of the bifrost destroying Jotunheim with you still in it. _The words seemed a bitter mockery now, spoken in a simpler time. He wondered, if he had gone back, if he had been crowned king, they would have never gone there. He would have never found his fate to be so harsh and welcoming. Father, though, would have never let a frost giant on the throne.

He struggled for air as he fell from Asgard. It was getting harder and harder to breath in, every particle of air abandoning him. Whether that was due to his unrelenting tears, his constricted chest and the heart breaking within, or the fact that he was plummeting through time and space, he didn't care to find out. He panted, trying to stop his tears, or offer his heart some measure of solace. Just as he managed to look at his surroundings, he remembered his father's features. His chest contorted and air vanished from his lungs all over again, new tears overtaking him. His sadness was controlling him in this battle for death, and he understood that this was the end.

He knew that he would greet death openly, too weak even to close his eyes and accept the final darkness.

He was soaring and flying through all of space, oblivious to anything around him. He couldn't think, memories dominating his mind, possessing him and he sank deeper into depression and darkness. He was oblivious even to the sound of the approachiing ship, of his salvation coming to find him. He should have seen him, his eyes open, accepting, weakness possessed him and he couldn't stop and see anything around him. The blue, green and red, like some sick swirling tie dye, a deep well into which he was falling.

A hand grabbed Loki out of space and he thought for a moment that it was his Father, or Thor and this whole time he'd been hanging off the rainbow bridge, hallucinating under pressure. The thought filled him with a sudden happiness, hope for repentance and new acceptance into his father's heart. He wished that this was all a momentary dream, but he was crushed seconds later when he landed on the Tardis floor.

The hand that had saved him, was now playing with buttons on the console of the machine. Loki looked up slowly, taking in his surroundings with a somber, resentful attitude. He didn't want to live, when he didn't belong anywhere, when he was unwanted. But, he was too weary to be furious with the Doctor for saving him, too apathetic to even fight against life. He didn't think of what this really meant, of life vs death, all he could think of was his father, and his odious brother. LIfe, perhaps would offer him a way to exact his revenge.

"Better late than never, I always say" the voice was chattering.

"Doctor?" Loki managed in a voice much too hoarse and quiet. One that told the doctor that Loki had given up wanting to speak. Perhaps that Loki had given up wanting to live at all, that terrified the Doctor.

Loki was delirious in his pain, and had he been anywhere else, the word would have been a dying man's request for a doctor. The noises of the room brought him back to life a little. Somehow, he found his feet. He looked at his savior once more and made it to the chair on the console with no recollection of moving.

"I did mean to come sooner, you know" the Doctor said, haltering the Tardis mid-flight for their discussion, yet to pick a destination for their adventure. His tone was cautious, apologetic, as he evaluated Loki.

The Doctor could see that damage had been done. He didn't want to ask Loki what had occurred since they'd last met, for fear of wounding the boy further.

"So, where to?" he asked brightly, hoping that distraction would aid the lost soul. Then, perhaps Loki would open up to him and he would wear a smile on his face again.

Loki said nothing, his eyes half closing as the scenes played in his mind again, on repeat, each one crashing over the last like waves gaining speed reaching, a painful crescendo in his mind until he had to shut his eyes to stop the images from progressing.

The lack of response unsettled the Doctor further, who had a billion questions. The primary one being, why had Loki been falling through the void? Why did he not care to be saved from death? Where was his spark or his charm? What had happened to Loki that had made him so guarded and dark? Surely it must have been more than finding out his parentage, because he knew Loki was strong enough to face that. He didn't know that abandoning the child to follow his hearts, had left Loki broken and weaker, not prepared for all that had transpired.

"I know!" he chattered on, "there's a brilliant planet, it's the universe's largest library, you always loved reading, didn't you? Or we could go somewhere more exciting." The Doctor was about to suggest a dozen new planets, one containing a race full of centaurs no doubt Loki would love, he thought, he had always been partial to riding. However, before he could suggest the planet, Loki managed to vanish from in front of his eyes. He looked around the console in worry, not finding a trace of him. Then, from within the tardis there was a loud thud. He raced down the hallways, finding Loki, leaning against the wall, beside the bedroom that had usually been his. No doubt the young God had tried to enter it, but had been too weak to make it to the door.

"You need some rest," the Doctor speculated, picking Loki up. He pulled Loki's arm over his shoulder, hoisting him up with his weight. Loki only blinked in response. They walked through the automatic door, the Doctor supporting Loki with his own weight. The bedroom was not the one Loki had usually used, for that one had moved somewhere beneath the swimming pool. Loki didn't seem to care, or notice and mumbled something groggily, something that even the Tardis couldn't translate.

"Father...Asgard-"Loki tried again, praying the Doctor would understand him and bring him back home. They would mourn for him, and accept his weak form back into their arms. Perhaps his brother and father would stay by his side, much like his mother had done when Odin had fallen into the deep sleep. Perhaps, he thought, wearily, that all of Asgard was wearing black and mourning for him right now. His return would be triumphant, like a prophet back from the grave, he would rule them all, and he would be Asgard's true champion. These thoughts started lulling him into a sleep, one filled with dreams and hope rather than nightmares, and he could no longer listen to the doctor, or the gentle sound of the Tardis' humming.

"Shh, you'll get some sleep and then we'll jet off, don't worry, the universe can wait," the Doctor assured, setting Loki down onto the bed. He managed to undo the buckles of Loki's big black boots and to yank them off, placing them at the foot of the bed. He glanced at them with wonder, making a note in his mind that his next regeneration might do well to donn black boots. The rest of the clothes the Doctor didn't want to trouble himself with, and it wouldn't have made any difference, for the Norse God was already sound asleep on the blue bed cover.

The hum of his breathing complimented the noise of the whirring, dormant time machine well, as if a musical harmony. the Doctor sighed, smiling sadly at Loki. It had happened, then, he knew. Loki had found out his true identity. What the doctor didn't know, was just how far from grace his companion had fallen. He didn't know the true horror of everything Loki had just done, and tried to do.

* * *

Time. He hated time. He cursed it. Did it always pass so slowly? He swam ten laps, read the history of the universe, read the history of Torchwood, dabbled in painting ( Asgardian Landscapes from memory) and still only 3 hours had passed. How long did Loki need to sleep, he wondered? He knew better than to leave the God in the Tardis as he went exploring other planets. They lacked a certain quality when he went alone, he couldn't see all the wonder of it. He decided, then, that he would have to wait until Loki awoke. But waiting proved to be nearly impossible. There was no way he could just jet into the future until Loki was better, was there? He had made a promise, he knew, one that he would come back for Loki, and now he finally had. He owed it to Loki to help him heal, to aid him in the quest find himself again and regain his strength. He was the Doctor, wasn't he? Still, he could loathe how long the Norse God needed to sleep. As well as the suffocatingly linear progression of time. He knew that the universe, the whole expanse of a billion planets and cultures and species was nothing without a fresh pair of eyes to take it in. He would just have to find something to do, he conceded, wondering when the last time he had slept. He wanted to run, he didn't like to stop running. To much time on his hands, and he would remember all of it. The Time War, the Daleks and Rose. His chest pained him and he sat in the console chair, listening to the moan of his two hearts. That's why he was always running, he knew, so he could escape the pain of his past for just a little while longer.

Memories threatened to pour over him, to swell onto him like an avalanche of emotion and pain and he felt utterly alone. Not like he had before, but more so. Without a (conscious) companion, without another time lord.

"Just you and me old girl, isn't it?" The Doctor said to the air, hoping one day he could hear the Tardis reply. After all was said and done, after every companion left him or went home, he would just be left alone. The mad man and his blue box.

What was the protocol, he wondered. Was he meant to offer Loki food? New clothes? Perhaps after he slept he would be filled with an energy, a want to see all of it. And then, they would both run from the past, and the fear of who they truly could were inside.

Darkness loomed over the Doctor, one that could only be kept away with running, racing through new worlds and enchanted cultures. Before that came help, though. He was the doctor, and help was in his very core, and a promise to a child was something he had to keep, he needed to see it through. Speed was a way to keep his sadness far from him, out of reach of his two hearts. Soon, he knew he could run again.

* * *

Darkness loomed over him, drifting away from seeped into his soul, as Loki's eyes flashed open. He took in his surroundings, evaluating the light that tried to heal him and the sadness within. It took him a few moments to move, his muscles unused for days, his body limp and fragile. He had been exhausted, completely used up. He was raw with emotions, always feeling everything to extremes. Always loving with extreme passion, hating with all the more passion, and enjoyment, oh when he felt it, it came swooping down on him and he could feel nothing else. But he had used himself up, cried and cursed, hated and screamed. He had been completely ready for death. He had been a shell of himself, a cruel vacant form with just a whisper of the man he used to be. In him was even less the boy who used to wonder at the world, and all it's possibilities. The world that now laughed at him. Fate had betrayed him, and his family no longer deserve his love. He could never stop though, his love for them too great, or perhaps his want to be accepted all the more greater.

He had slept for days, but for him, it had felt less than an hour.

Memories came back to him and he cringed at the sudden pain of it all. But he promised himself, he could not forget. Not really. He half blamed the Doctor, wishing he had fallen to his , he remembered why he had loved the Doctor as a child. His joyful attitude and his ability to show Loki worlds never known. Even how he would never ask about Thor, how he had been his friend and his alone. The doctor had been his time lord, outfitted with obnoxiously red sneakers, dashing about worlds and caves, defeating aliens with him. He had been Loki's most precious secret, but now Loki hated secrets. They had consumed his life, eaten him from the inside out and turned him, quite literally, in every case of the word, blue. He hated that color now, he spat on the very thought of the word, of the hues, and different tones. Ice, and the Tardis' doors, the blue of his sheets, all of it pained him, sent repulsion up his spine. He knew a way to fix it, though. And right now, he only loved one thing about the Doctor, and one alone. He jumped out of the bed, pain in his joints at the sudden movement. He breathed it in, cherished it, reminded himself to hate his brother all the more. He doubted they would even mourn the loss of his life, but they wouldn't have to for long.

He found the doctor in the library, an automated voice reading a book out to him, some earth trifle regarded as a classic. In his lap was a pair of knitting needles, and a long expansive scarf. One to rival even one of his former regenerations. The shelves were covered with brightly colored hand knitted curtains. Sweaters and plush knit animals covered the rest of the furniture. The Doctor sprang up, pleased that Loki had, after 5 days, finally awoken.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, not to hide his annoyance and boredom at the sheer reality of how slow time really could go.

"Doctor," Loki responded, pleased to find his voice was cool, and calm and not the least bit hoarse though the last words he had really said were promises to his father. It wouldn't matter soon, he knew.

"Loki! How did you sleep? Well? I couldn't sleep, so I've reorganized the library, then read the volumes, and I've taken up knitting, lovely old hobby if you really put your back into it...or I guess your wrists, and with a nice book, it's rather soothing. Are you hungry? Have you thought of where you want to go?" The Doctor beamed, dropping his knitting needles and the hot pink scarf to the ground. The weave he had mastered in hours and was now making the multicolored scarf a mile long, with new styles along the way. He was glad to finally be done with the time wasting activity, though he could revisit it if he ever grew bored again.

"Yes," Loki smiled, trying the movement on for size. His lips gave little hesitation before the small smile possessed his features.

"Well, change and we're off!" The Doctor beamed, coming towards Loki.

"No need to change, Doctor," Loki responded, still so calm and cool. Soon, he promised himself, it would all be over soon.

"Ah, we're going back to Asgard then? Home is it?" The Doctor nodded, evaluating the man the boy had grown into. The hair suited Loki, he thought, and the traditional Asgardian dress magnified the power of those magnificent, cunning green eyes. The Doctor had hoped for actual adventures, but if Loki was strong enough to go back home, perhaps this was on the list of things he needed to do to heal. Maybe it was some 7 step process, the Doctor thought momentarily.

"I need to go back,"

Loki followed the Doctor towards the console, noting the knitted laces that now adorned his red shoes. He would later tell the Doctor that those laces just did not fit, but now Loki was too blinded with the excitement of what was to come.

"All right then?" The Doctor asked, wondering when Loki would open up and tell him everything.

"It will be soon, when I change things," Loki nodded.

"Change what, sorry?" The Doctor asked, filled with the dread that he already knew. His knowledge of the future dampening his thoughts, he was sure this would end badly.

"Why Doctor, we're going to change my past," Loki said, and for the first time in weeks, the sides of his lips curling up into a small smile. His green eyes twinkled with a flash of happiness, hope taking over over every single thought in his mind.

"We have to go back," he repeated, certain.

* * *

I adore your kind words! Thank you so much for reading this!

[tbc]


	3. Darkness, My Old Friend

The Doctor watched Loki's features with uneasiness. For all her use, the Tardis was a time machine at her heart, the doctor knew. He also knew that if he let Loki exploit that, there would be no stopping him.

"The day father announced Thor would be king," Loki said, as if the words held a bitter taste in his mouth. He practically spat them to the ground.

"Loki-" The doctor began to say something, to warm Loki against tampering with the past.

"I can't" he lied. "The distortion, going back to such a cataclysmic event would-"

"Would what? Upset the government of Asgard?" Loki accused, his eyes squinting. Loki watched him for signs of betrayal or of lies. Loi was still to weak to get what he wanted, but he would wait and get better. Then in time, there would be nothing to stop him. Least of all sentiment.

"Well, we can try," the Doctor grinned, flipping switches on the Tardis. She hummed to life and he kept peering to Loki over the controls. He felt guilt for his actions, but not as much as he knew he could. He knew a fraction of Loki's potential, but he didn't know how close to reaching it Loki was.

The Doctor hoped to heal Loki, to bring him out of the darkness. He knew that Loki could make a choice, to embrace a different side of himself, to construct a new identity, and his mission was to help Loki heal. If he didn't, he wasn't quite sure he would ever forgive himself.

The Tardis landed with a thud. The Doctor shifted some of the keys uneasily, his mind flashing back to when he'd first meet Loki. When Martha had been wary of him, when he'd disappeared in front of them and explored the Tardis. He never listened to rules, and the Doctor felt as if he had to cheat the young soul.

"Home Sweet, I think-"The Doctor started, smelling the air.

"Let me," Loki waltzed out of the doors, to be rushed with traffic and screaming air.

"Where are we?" he spun back into the Tardis, visibly furious but containing himself easily. He had a handle on his anger too well, and that made the Doctor pause for thought.

The Doctor poked his head out, spotting 2012 London and brought himself back into the Tardis. "Minor mishap, sometimes she doesn't take me where we want to go but where we need to go, but I'm sure we could explore? Be like the old days?" he asked, hoping that Loki would concede and travel with him for a few weeks. Perhaps he would start to heal. But Loki had only one mission in mind: Asgard. And he would do anything to get it at this point. But he was unlike the Doctor, he knew how to make time work for him. Where being patient drove the Doctor insane, Loki had learned how herd time, to use it's advantage.

"Alright," he murmured his response, acting weaker than he was.

"Doctor, thank you" he lied, his voice soft. His smiles hung back and a somber nature filled his tone. He dropped his shoulders. Once he had his strength back, there would be no games, there would be no time wasted, he would be King.

London was uneventful, and the herds of masses and people made him sick to his stomach, though he dare not admit it. He looked at them with envy, for they were the mere mortals Thor favored above him.

"Doing alright Loki?" the Doctor would check in too often, as if a sign that he always had known this would happen.

"Getting back to my normal self," Loki would respond, practiced, eloquent. After they saved London from a fleet of aliens who wanted nothing better than to eat every human, they went back to the Tardis. Loki thought the humans should have died, but he didn't say it. The Doctor interpreted the God's silence as pain.

"You don't have to talk about it," The Doctor commented, as they had suddenly fallen onto the topic of Thor and Asgard. Loki was asking, after just two missions, to go home. Again, he was planting seeds of his plan, and he knew he wouldn't be allowed home, not quite yet. Also, he knew his strength was not enough to do what he desired.

"I just want to be a part of Asgard, please," he begged. "When I was younger, when YOU promised you would come back, I wanted adventure, but now I want my family, well A family" Loki pleaded. "I thought you could make that happen, Doctor" he explained, his words eloquent, each one like a cloaked dagger. The Doctor shut the door slowly, heading back to the console in a reluctant matter.

"Maybe you need to heal first, Loki, give yourself time," The Doctor pointed out, starting the Tardis up again.

"Let's pop down to A Silurian Empire, Fight Dragons-"

Loki's eyes widened at the possibility of adventure and he smiled. A kind smile that had not graced his lips for some time, even if it was pretend.

"Alright" Loki conceded feeling a burning pain behind his eyes. He was still not well, darkness consumed him, but a small part of it was still fighting it. At night reels of images passed in front of him, Thor and his father taunting him. He could hardly wait longer to have control, but patience was well practiced, and he had to extinguish any light part of himself, he had to purge himself of purity before he could realize his true villainous potential. The dark side of him promised that soon there would be not a trace of light left in him.

"Let's see where she takes us!" The Doctor offered, and spun the Tardis keys until they began a descend.

The planet Zorglon 4 consisted solely of aliens who looked eerily like crescent shapes strudels with long tubular snouts. They were a bright green color, and they were known as kind, gentle aliens, unless of course you believed them to be strudel and ate them. This was the introduction the Doctor gave Loki as they docked. They were greeted at the Capital walls, with a luei of guards, each more hideous than the last.

"They're recovering from a great interplanatary war, aren't really that trusting, but they'll roll out the welcome mat for us!" The Doctor assured, tapping his breast, where his psychic paper should have been. In fact, Loki had stolen it days before, fascinated with it's magic, and justifying that the Doctor did not deserve such a gift. That simple trick may have led them to their deaths. The Zorglornians circled around them, much like vultures would their prey. The Doctor searched for his paper frantically, and Loki could see a familiar emotion pass over the Doctor' features. In less than 7 seconds, he would scream RUN and grab Loki's hand, bounding off back towards the Tardis. Probably to be thwarted again. The adventure was all the same for Loki now, like recycled tv show specials. He remembered them in his youth, when they had fascinated him, but now he'd rather work and accomplish his dreams, then sit around wasting time. No doubt too, that the Doctor would deem his visit pointless, and would drag Loki to another, seemingly "amazing" planet, where they would encounter another race of villainous aliens threatened to take over the world. Loki was finding them to be educational, and vowed that he would never fail in such a tacky way. One man could never stop him, Time Lord or not.

"Dear friends," Loki blundered, remembering how good he had been with his words. He constructed a lie so thought out and perfect that the Doctor gaped beside him. He kept his smirk of satisfactory from appearing on his features and seconds later, the city walls were opened to them, and they were greeted with cheers and joy.

"Loki that was-" Loki prepared himself for a compliment on his silver tongue, on his ability to convince nations that he was to be praised.

"That was wrong," The Doctor finished.

"You lie," Loki pointed out.

"Only when-"

"When what? When you have to? Would you rather be dead Doctor?" Loki snarled suddenly.

"No of course not, Thank you Loki," The Doctor responded, albeit, without a trace of sincerity.

Perhaps it was because the Doctor had really seen first hand the intense power Loki possessed, how he could literally move walls with his words, and how in seconds, enemies had become friends.

"Just don't make a habit of it," The Doctor chided, as if to a child. Loki nodded and acted sheepish, when a fire burned behind his eyes, and his mind screamed _you are not my father. _

"I thought I was helping," Loki pointed out, as they were led into the main hall.

"Yes, thank you, Loki" The Doctor nodded.

Loki knew it was his time to go, not only did the adventures fail to capture him, but he was healed. He was performing at prime ability, and he was able to lie in and out of any situation, he sampled his apparitions as the Doctor talked to the guards, and startled some of the more gullible residents of Zorglon 4. To be successful, all he had to do was convince the Doctor to take him home. Where he would kill Thor before he had a chance to become king, and ruin everything.

"That was fun, wasn't it? Nothing like stopping a intergalactic war on Zlorgon 4, and witnessing the signing of the peace recipes!" The Doctor laughed, as he raced back into the Tardis.

"Yes,"

"What's wrong, Loki?" The Doctor asked, etching the words out slowly, because he knew he didn't want the response.

"I want to go home," Loki pleaded, his voice soft. The Doctor saw it as a warning sign. From someone who could command his voice, create power out of nothing and double himself, fooling the common eye, Loki was not one to admit his mistakes, or to grovel. Never did he ask for anything, he took it. Emotion controlled him, whether be it love and obsession for his family, or hate, vengeance and obsession. The Doctor had always known that Loki didn't ask for things, and it was a bad sign if he did. An act.

"Doctor, please, take me home, before-" Loki dropped his words, enticing curiosity. "I'd rather be home than end up like Rose," he pointed out. The Doctor stopped, still at the console. He pivoted to face Loki slowly.

"What do you think happened to Rose?" he asked, slowly, no attempt to mask his pain.

"Can't be good. She's not here. You don't talk about her, not like you used to. You used to be soft Doctor, helpful."

"I'm still very helpful," The Doctor pointed out. "Did save you from the void of time and space, late albeit but-"

"I didn't ask you to," Loki snapped suddenly.

"Loki-"

"You could have LET ME BE!" he shouted. "TAKE ME HOME, before I end up dead or heartbroken like every other companion," his words were full of malice now.

"Loki, I'm trying to help you," The Doctor chided, as if speaking to a child.

"Why? Because you know?" he accused. His buildup was complete, his process finished. He was ready to say what he'd been thinking since he arrived.

"You thought you could save me? Because you know I'm a monster?" he asked, a tear starting now.

"You're not a monster Loki!"

"You knew of my true lineage, that I was a frost giant" he spat the words out as if they were a bad taste he hoped to purge himself of.

"Loki, that doesn't mean you're a monster," The Doctor pleaded. "Our choices-"

"Like you chose not to tell me? Did you know Doctor?"

"Loki-"

"All those times, you came to me when I was young, did you know what I really was?"

"Loki-"

"ANSWER ME" He shouted. "Oh I know the Doctor always runs, but you can't escape from this."

"I never wanted to hurt you" The Doctor conceded, "I thought if I was able to help you-"

"I trusted you, I BELIEVED IN YOU!" he screamed now. "All those times, you wanted to help me? By lying to me?" he appeared beside the Doctor now, imposing, dark, his eyes filled with anger.

"Loki, please- " The Doctor tried to stop or cut through what were now thunderous screams. At least, he thought, rather dryly, no one can hear us in space. Loki was continuing his tirade, growing darker and angrier at ever word. All his life spilling in front of the doctor, every promise and kind word now a lie, a horrible trick for the Master of tricks.

"You told me I was special, I was just as good as Thor, all those times you LIED!" he shouted the last word for effect, inching closer to the Doctor, his boots planted firmly on the floor.

"Loki you still can be special! They love you, they don't care what you are, just resist this anger, you do not have to be the God of Mischief, I can teach you to fight it!"

"Did you really think you could save me from this?"

"Loki, you're playing with fire, you don't have to do this, don't become this, you are stronger, and no matter who you are, you are still of Asgard and your family loves you" The Doctor pleaded.

"You know all this time, and did you love me? Or were you just watching for the signs of my destruction? And you decided to leave. Rose was more important," Loki laughed. It was a vicious cruel laugh.

"And tell me now Doctor, where did sentiment get you? All alone in a big blue box, nothing but space," he smirked.

"Loki, listen, you're not evil-"

"Oh But I am, thanks to you, Doctor, you showed me the universe, and I can assure it's going to be mine" he sniggered. Out of nowhere he produced a blade and plunged it into the Doctor's side. He vanished just as suddenly, appearing at the Tardis door.

The Doctor cried out, he screamed, groaning against his pain. He watched Loki uneasily, though there was space between them, there was no telling what the God would do. The Doctor clutched the wound, attempting to take in the pain. He pulled the knife from in between his ribs and groaned, suddenly aware of Loki's full plan.

"We're still in orbit, no man can survive that fall, there's nothing beneath you, it's just the void!" The Doctor cautioned. "DONT!"

"God's cannot be destroyed" Loki responded.

"Loki, please, don't do this, it's not too late!" The Doctor tried again, but Loki was already far gone.

"Oh, let me not forget my manners Doctor, thank you ever so much for showing me who I was always supposed to be" he sneered, before he leapt out of the Tardis.

"NO!" The Doctor screamed, holding his hand on the wound to stop the bleeding.

For days, he would still hear Loki's vile whispers in the Tardis, haunting him. For he would now have to live with the knowledge that he created the God of Mischief.

A/N: Thanks for reading! More coming soon! Love and Loki!


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